


homin | warmth.

by plincess_cho (ai_hao)



Series: Domestic Life | Yunho x Changmin [6]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Author: Ai, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 05:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8698753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ai_hao/pseuds/plincess_cho
Summary: Yunho reminds Changmin that he'll never leave.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Quick ficlet after talking with @powerfulsmiles and @yoonhomeen about Yunho's warm hugs ;_;

****From the window of their shared apartment in Tokyo, Yunho watches as Changmin slowly trudges down the street below. The weather is miserable with grey skies and an indecisive drizzle that steadily drenches everything caught out in it. Usually on days like today, Changmin hurries down the block in order to escape the rain and cold, but today he seems to be wallowing in it. Yunho watches him step directly into a puddle. Changmin stops, looks down, and seems to accept his miserable fate before he continues to plod towards their house.

In Yunho’s experience, there is happy Changmin, drunk Changmin, tired Changmin, and angry Changmin. All of those states of being have a particular energy associated with them. Happy Changmin bounds around the dressing room teasing the staffs, munching on snacks, and bothering Yunho while he tries to play video games. Drunk Changmin is loud: he gives speeches, tells terrible jokes, and giggles non-stop at things that aren’t even funny. Tired Changmin is whiny. Sometimes he’ll outright complain to the MC that he wants to go to bed, but other times he’ll just mutter curses under his breath. And then there’s angry Changmin. Angry Changmin is either fierce and powerful or cold and silent, but both states of anger carry a certain electricity in the air.

Sad Changmin is something different entirely. Yunho knows that Changmin doesn’t process sadness well and simply shuts down whenever the emotion rears its ugly head. Changmin will recede back into his shell, the one Yunho and Kyuhyun had spent so long coaxing him out of, and it’ll be like 2008 all over again. Quiet, introspective Changmin, refusing to let anyone into his mind and his heart.

Changmin disappears from view and Yunho waits for the familiar sound of Changmin’s footsteps in the hall. A few moments later, he hears the trudging. It stops as it nears the door, and there’s a pause before Yunho hears a jingle of keys.

The door slowly opens, revealing a very sad and somewhat soggy Changmin. He wordlessly drops his keys, aiming for the bowl by the door. The keys miss and fall to the floor with a crash, but Changmin doesn’t react. He manages to step out of his track shoes, which squeak as he pushes them aside. His jacket is dripping on the floor, but Changmin doesn’t seem to notice. He just sighs and hangs the garment on the rack.

Yunho stands up from the couch and gives Changmin a sympathetic look. “Hey,” he says softly. “Rough day?” The question is rhetorical, and Changmin doesn’t bother to answer. He doesn’t need to answer. Yunho just knows.

Yunho will know even if he doesn’t see Changmin looking properly morose with his downcast eyes, slouched shoulders, and bedraggled appearance. Yunho will know even if he doesn’t ear the sound of Changmin’s slow footsteps, his anguished sighs, or his squeaky tennis shoes. Yunho will know because he knows Changmin, because he’s known Changmin for nearly 15 years, because he knows every part of Changmin’s personality and history and being.

Changmin looks towards the kitchen but can’t seem to muster the energy to walk over. Instead, he trudges towards Yunho and falls directly into Yunho’s open arms.

Yunho feels Changmin sag against him, leaning almost his entire weight onto Yunho’s frame. He’s lost weight, Yunho can tell, and he makes a note to pester Changmin about it later. But for now, he lets Changmin rest against him as he tightens his arms around Changmin’s tall, thin frame. Changmin plunks his head down right on Yunho’s shoulder, and Yunho can feel the rain from Changmin’s hair dripping on his t-shirt.

Yunho holds Changmin tightly, rubbing his back gently as Changmin huddles into the warmth of his chest. He feels Changmin shiver slightly and hugs him closer, trying to will away the sadness and angst.

He knows Changmin hates being sad and knows that Changmin also hates letting his sadness affect others, even though those who love him have promised him time and time again they’re glad to help him. Every so often, Changmin will make like he wants to pull away in order not to burden Yunho further, but Yunho gently pulls him back. _I’m here for you,_ he’d said once. _I’ve always been here for you and I always will be._

Changmin had been upset and drunk at the time, a somewhat lethal combination. _Yeah right,_  he’d scoffed. _You’ll leave, just like the others_.

But Yunho had held him close then like he does now and had said, _Never, Changmin. I will never leave you._

And he never has.

They stay that way for quite some time: Changmin sniffling into Yunho’s shoulder and Yunho holding Changmin close. When Changmin does finally pull away, he taps Yunho’s back twice to let him know that it’s alright to let go. He steps back and looks into Changmin’s eyes. “Are you okay?” he asks softly.

“No,” Changmin replies. His response is honest and straightforward, just like Changmin always has been. “But I will be.”

They spend the night watching bad Japanese comedy films that they only half understand. Changmin wraps himself up in a blanket before plopping himself down on the couch next to Yunho and helping himself to the popcorn bowl in Yunho’s lap. Halfway through the third film, Yunho feels pressure against his shoulder and realizes that Changmin has fallen asleep leaning against him.

“Goodnight, Changdola,” Yunho whispers, tucking the blanket around Changmin. He settles back against the couch and turns the volume down on the television before turning his attention back to the melodrama on the screen.

Yunho can’t fight Changmin’s sadness. He can’t force the world to be kind to Changmin, even though he wishes he could. But he can save Changmin from himself, from the crushing weight of loneliness and despair, by simply refusing to leave.

Back then, he had promised to stay in Changmin’s life forever. Today, Changmin knows that he intends to keep that promise.


End file.
